50 facts about fruit

Morgan McGrath, Staff Writer|January 11, 2018

  1. Coconuts, peaches, and pineapples are all considered to be berries.
  2. At one point in time, blackberry juice was used to dye clothes.
  3. Coffee beans aren’t really beans at all. Instead, they’re actually fruit pits.
  4. Pomology: the science of growing fruits.
  5. Humans and bananas have 50% of the same DNA.
  6. The stickers placed on fruits are made out of edible paper, meaning that they are, technically, able to be consumed.
  7. The Durian fruit is the world’s worst smelling fruit.
  8. Kiwis, at one time, were known as Chinese Gooseberries.
  9. Plums, pears, peaches, and apples are all apart of the Rose Family.
  10. Pomegranates can have up to 1,400 seeds.
  11. A mango tree can grow to be 100 feet tall.
  12. Apples are 25% air which is why, when placed in water, they float.
  13. Many Japanese farmers grow watermelon in the shape of a cube in order to make more space in refrigerators.
  14. Starfruit can also be called Carambola.
  15. Explorers once used watermelons as canteens.
  16. Orange peels have four times more fiber than oranges themselves.
  17. Strawberries typically have around 200 seeds. They’re also the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
  18. There are more than 1,000 known species of blackberries.
  19. Dragon Fruit is full of vitamin C and is even said to help reduce acne.
  20. Lemons are a cross between sour oranges and citrons.
  21. Most lime species are natives of Asia.
  22. Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that grows papayas to market and sell.
  23. China sells and produces more tangerines that any other country.
  24. In Latin, the word pomegranate means “apple with many seeds.”
  25. Some fruits that most people haven’t ever heard of–but are worth learning more about–include the following: cotton candy grapes, lemon cucumbers, kiwi berries, cherimoya, jackfruit, pomelo, water apples, etc.
  26. Grapes, when heated in a microwave, will actually explode.
  27. The fruit salad tree is a tree that can grow up to 7 different fruits.
  28. Tomatoes have more genes than we do.
  29. Miracle fruit is a fruit that, when eaten, causes sour foods to taste sweet for at least an hour or two after consumption.
  30. As pineapples were so expensive in colonial times, people would simply rent these flavorful fruits and show them off to others as a sign of wealth.
  31. In the U.S., tomatoes are legally named vegetables.
  32. The ancient Egyptians considered honeydew (melon) to be a sacred fruit.
  33. 7,500 varieties of apples are grown worldwide.
  34. Cantaloupes are in the lead for most popular melon in the U.S.
  35. Rhubarb leaves are actually very toxic.
  36. Some nutritionists call guavas a “super fruit.” Others under this title include apples, bananas, grapefruit, citrus fruits, and cantaloupe.
  37. To ensure that a pineapple becomes ripe faster than usual, place it down with the leaf-covered end facing the ground.
  38. Avocado leaves can prove fatal to various types of birds.
  39. The loganberry is a mix of blackberries and raspberries.
  40. The seeds inside of the lychee fruit are poisonous.
  41. Cherries are said to help calm one’s nervous system.
  42. Blueberries were, at point, called star berries.
  43. Consuming passion fruit might help with falling asleep and lowering anxiety levels.
  44. When put in a bowl with bananas, pears will ripen faster than normal.
  45. The mangosteen is known as the “queen of fruits.”
  46. Nectarines can be a pale white color, instead of their typical yellow, on the inside.
  47. The Asian Pear is sometimes referred to as a Nashi.
  48. Rhubarb leaves are actually very toxic.
  49. Some oranges-mainly those grown in tropical areas of land-are green and/or yellow in color.
  50. Bananas, like apples and watermelons, can float.